Jerry Wolkoff to add affordable housing, art studios to 5 Pointz plan

Posted on July 3, 2013 by admin

(L-R) Jerry and David Wolkoff

Jerry Wolkoff, the owner of the 5 Pointz building, was livid when he learned that his plan to build two residential towers where the graffiti icon now stands was rejected by Community Board 2 last month.

“I wasn’t upset with the community,” Wolkoff said. “I was upset that my staff did not find out what the community needed and took them for granted.”

He said his staff would tell him that “things are coming along great” and that everything is going to plan. However, he said, it was clear that they were not in tune community.

Wolkoff said that he’s been involved with the Long Island City community for 40 years and has worked with artists and promoted their art for decades. “I’ve seen people grow up in this area. It is not like I’m from Manhattan (or elsewhere) and I have just bought a piece of property.”

“I would never have presented a building that I didn’t think had community support,” Wolkoff said.

Wolkoff, who was represented by his son David and a fleet of consultants at the community board meetings, continues to seek a special permit that would allow him to build 1,000 units–370 more than permitted ‘as of right’ by present zoning. The focus has not been on whether the graffiti icon will be demolished (Wolkoff can do that “as of right”) but whether he will be permitted to build so many units.

The community board, which plays an advisory role, sighted a slew of reasons for opposing the special zoning permit. They cited, among other items, that his plan made no provision for affordable housing, that it lacked a meaningful number of art studios, and that there was a lack of low-cost parking spaces.

Shortly after Community Board 2 rejected his plan, Wolkoff convened a meeting with several board members.

Wolkoff, who didn’t attend the community board 2 public meetings on the proposed development, said he went to the meeting and said ‘tell me your concerns and I will try and take care of them.”

Wolkoff said: “I was sorry that it had come to that point. “

Joe Conley, chairman of community board 2, confirmed Wolkoff’s desire for a meeting and his aim to learn more about the community’s objections.

Wolfkoff said he sat down with the board members and drew up a list of items the community sought. “It wasn’t a case of you give me this and I will give you that. I said ‘what are people asking for?”

Wolkoff told the board members that he would increase the size of the artist space from 2,000sq ft. (about 5 studios) to 12,000 sq ft.

Wolkoff said that when he learned that the public sought affordable housing, he revised his plan to include 54 affordable units. That number equates to 20% of the 370 extra units that the special permit would provide. He said that the units would be of the same quality as the market-rate units.

Wolkoff also said that he would display art work on the streets surrounding the development, as well as provide inexpensive parking.

Wolkoff said he would have included these provisions in the first place had his staff informed him of what the community sought.

Despite the changes, Community Board 2 remains on record as rejecting the proposal. The plan, which includes Wolkoff’s revisions, is in the hands of Borough President Helen Marshall. Her office held a hearing on the proposal on Thursday and is expected to make a decision on the plan any day now, according to her spokesman.

Should Marshall approve it, the plan will go to the City Planning Commission. While the commission could nix the application, it is likely to move on to the City Council for a vote.

Conley said that had Wolkoff included these provisions in the plan that was presented to Community Board 2 the vote may have gone a different way.

Wolkoff said that he would continue to work with the community to meet its concerns but realizes that he can’t keep everyone happy. He said that when he allowed the artists to paint on the building, he would get complaints from people saying ‘why do you allow this’ ugly graffiti. Now there are people who can’t stand the prospect of seeing the building go.

“Some people are never happy,” Wolkoff said. “Some people don’t like the Mona Lisa; they say she smiles too much.”

"Wolkoff, who was represented by his son David and a fleet of consultants"...Thats all one needs to know.

Daddy, sonny and the consultants never "consulted" with the community.

Let hope he is not like that scumbag Bruce Ratner who promised "affordable housing" as he and Bloomie used eminent domain to toss hardworking people out into the street, only to see that the "affordable housing" looks like it will never be built. Ratner can delay until 2035 and then pay a small fine.

I don't believe a word he says. Nor do I give Conley much credit. Fifty four units is a start, but he is getting 370 extra!

How about he makes all of them affordable? Make this place nicer for the people who already live here! Don't push us out to make room for the overflow from Manhattan. Do you think we don't notice? Your protestations are insulting! You didn't realize. . . . Yeah, sure, I buy that. And, hey, do you have a bridge I can buy?

what is affordable??? $2000 a month for a 1 bedroom.....oh that's right the "can't afford wanna be manhattanites" will flood this part of Long Island City>>>>>>>>>>>> Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so sorry I forgot we're not Long Island City we're LIC ...another area destroyed!!

2 more years and cya NYC done
choking on these fake aholes moving & destroying NYC............................

2K a month for a one bedroom in Long Island City? Surely you jest - try 2.8K and UP. My building in Sunnyside (south) finally broke the 2K mark on a smallish one bedroom (relatively speaking; the apts in my building are huge). The apt. rented within 2 weeks without being painted/prepped. None of us can believe it!

It is ironic and hypocritical to be disparaging towards the owner of this building and not see the selfishness of the people who benefited for free for 2 decades. The new plan seems more than fair and gives concessions to the disgusting mob.

It is a real shame that no political or cultural organizations are advocating to preserve this place. It seems the deals have been made. It is essentially a bunch of artists and their lawyer trying to advocate for this cultural institution.

A good comparison or model would be the Magic Gardens in Philly. Philly has a very different relationship to Public Art then New York, but we're talking about an art space that was preserved by the community and city. Today the Magic Gardens is a thriving tourist destination. Imagine a 5pointz preserved as a studio, artspace, etc. Multiply the Magic Gardens times a thousand in terms of the effect it would have on the economy as a tourist destination.

The Wolkoff met hush hush with the cb2 after the no vote, and apparently guaranteed increased space for artists ? which artists , no one from 5 Pointz has been involved, and as of now, none of the studio space, nor gallery space is being offered to 5 Pointz. There has been no communication between G&M realty and the 5 Pointz collective, other than a letter of eviction and a phone call preventing the use of the roof, because I quote " people were mean to the Wolkoff family at the meeting.

At the hearing with Helen Marshall , Mr Conley acted like he was part of the Wolkoff team stood in between them during the entire presentation.

Mr Wolkoff indeed did not have to give the space to artists, but most of you need to understand that a lot of the artists that paint the building use to be tenants , and pay rent , till 2009 when the staircase collapsed. The low rent was a reflection of the poor shape of the building , it was a win win artists had space to work in , and G&M realty did not have to bring the building up to code , as artists are very low maintenance tenant.

5 Pointz as a collective tried to rent more space on the ground floor back in 2010 , and started cleaning the space , the said space was taken away from the collective after fans started the save 5 Pointz petition.

it is a difficult battle , and 5 Pointz today is an iconic site bringing a huge amount of tourists to LIC. Where are our elected officials ? 5 Pointz has been begging for a meeting with Jimmy Van bramer , without any success ...

I don't like the term 'affordable housing', at what price point is housing affordable? If a luxury building rents the 1 beds for $3000, how much less would the 'affordable housing' versions be? And more to the point, is it fair that certain people get to live in the luxury building for less than others? I agree housing should be made available for all, but do those earning a lower wage really need to be living in a luxury building? Should those that have studied and worked hard and are now reaping the rewards by living in a nice apartment, have to share with those that arent. I myself do not live in a luxury building, nor could I afford to, I'm far from a wall street type, but I don't feel that because I earn a lower salary that I am entitled to a 2 bed with ensuite, roof deck and river view.

5 Pointz is a huge cultural asset to LIC and NYC in general. It is what many tourists come to NYC to see, and are instead confronted with a sterile and boring city. Mr Wolkoff doesn't need more money, and if he really wants to do something for the community, he should work with the curators of 5 Pointz to develop it's full potential.

and, Anon.an.on, 'is it fair that poor people get to live in nice apartments'? wow, that is an incredibly nasty sentiment. Most of us americans work hard, very hard, and the fact is that those born with money stay with money. The way the education and health system is set up makes it hard to break the cycle of poverty. I agree that nobody 'needs' luxury housing. That's not the point. The point is that New York needs affordable housing PERIOD. And if that housing happens to not be in run-down ghettos then that's a bonus! Have some empathy for struggling families and put your jealousy aside.

@ Tom I disagree, it's not a nasty thing to say at all, I think it's a very vaild point that too many people are too scared to say. It is unfair that one person pays one price and someone else pays a different price for the exact same thing. That's not jealousy, that's sanity. I'm saying it should be fair accross the board, if you can't afford to live somewhere, then you shouldnt be living there.

I agree that there is affordable housing needed, and I agree that it shouldnt have to be in run down ghettos, but inside luxury condo buildings is the complete opposite side of the scale. I would rather see affordable buildings dotted all over the city and queens.

I think there are too many people that shrug theirs shoulders, blame their current situation on 'the system' or 'the goverment' or 'the schools', take no blame themselves, and then hold their hand out expecting the world to give them something for nothing. Now luxury condo's is to be added to that hand out list.

I love Art and always have. I think what the Wolkoff family is proposing is instrumental in making LIC a more desirable area for all concerned. I looked at the new building sketches and at the graffiti building too. I do not get the outrage at all. People want to live in nice places and when you give it to them they raise a stink, all for nothing. Graffiti is graffiti, and while talent did go into it. I think Art should be framed, and hung, and a nice area will help many in the long run.
I do not see that the Wolkoffs are trying to do anything to harm the artists. Maybe instead of stores on the bottom they can have Art exhibits, galleries. Etc….

This place is an open air art museum for the unique and beautiful art form that is graffiti. G&M realty plans to demolish the building to build two high rise apartement buildings intended for the financially affluent. While they are offereing the 5 pointz group studio space and the opportunity to curate the building, buch of this will be the antithesis of what it was that the graffiti mecca represented to the artists who journeyed there on a pigrimage to see artists' work that have inspired them. The art on dispay at 5 pointz is for the public. It is a place for artists to legally put their art on display, and it is a lifetime goal for many of us. Please, support the cause to save this beautiful open air art museum and prevent it from being turned into apartments, retail space, and a parking garage. You wouldn't tear down the Louvre would you? That's how much this means to graffiti artists around the world.

The thought of Bloomberg is enough to choke anyone. He was as good for this city as the terrorists were in 2011. Unless you are a billionaire like he is he has no use for you, and is moving you as far away as he can. Affordable housing is a lick and a promise.
I just wonder how he stayed this long without being thrown out.
The rendering for this place is nice, but we do not know if it is a 20/80 affordable. Meaning only 20% of the building will be affordable. Unless he does 80% market rates, he can’t afford to build it.
So is it really affordable? Or is it not for everyone.
I still rather see new buildings come in, new stores, expand the good areas. Right now that area is not really desirable for many. It is no neighborhood, it has no shopping, in short what is LIC really?

Yes, the Wolkoffs have the right to do what they want with their property. But let's not pretend this won't be a huge loss to the character of NYC. 5 Pointz is a special place and it's a shame that, as usual, money triumphs over art and taste. Could those two towers be any more generic and bland?

Then why did you white wash the building the day after a support rally that the very community you claim to respect came out for you lying piece of slime? To block the community's efforts to get landmark status? Oh yeah, some respect you have for the community. Just another rich jerk trying not to show his true colors.

LI City has many new developments and has been the place to go when you can’t afford Manhattan. I hope more people will ban together to support normal life style in NYC, STOP the outrageous gouging and displacing people. Seems like the Developers and the government all BS and get over on the people.
Kudos to those people who stand up to make a difference.

But LIC is no completion for Manhattan, and it does not have 1% of the conveniences or interest that Manhattan does. It is where to go when you can’t afford Manhattan. They better make it a neighborhood with good eateries, good shops, and all the things that make it a comfortable place. NOT Alienate potential business owners/ residents….
When I drove through there recently it was cold, not good on stores, shops, eateries, or transportation FROM a passengers view in a car. The area needs to remain affordable.
IT is no other then "close to the city" NOT some great special anything, I know marketing….it is what it is. But, but, but the people that live there if stabilized will get to see its renaissance as did the upper Upper West Side. People did not leave the UWS because new came in. But people will, and should ban together from allowing the rich to crush the not rich so they can get richer

1. Today five points -thanks to the greedy, apathetic new owners. Their "white wash" is an eyesore. Affordable housing? For who? These two are greedy and selfish. They're not going to help the community. Just like my landlord. He won't upgrade anything and charges a years salary for rent. They're all full of crap.

Ask yourself this.... If they were going to create affordable housing why spend money to tear it down? I'll tell you why. To build condos on prime realistate and what makes it prime? The artist. If all the artist were to leave these two guys would be screwed. Al we can do us not rent from them.

The affordable housing is only twenty percent which isn't a big accomplishment . That's the standard affordable housing to get a tax break. Plenty of buildings in Manhattan offer that. Won't there be more community meetings where this can be brought up?

Latest News

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz has been a strong advocate for decking over the Sunnyside Yard for months—despite the cool reception it has received from western Queens leaders.

Katz began advocating for developing the yards in September, when she announced that they have the “potential for extraordinary development.”

Katz plays an important role in what ultimately happens to the Yards since the area would need to be rezoned before construction could begin. The community board and the borough president would get to weigh in on a rezoning—before it is shuffled along to the City Planning Commission for review and then the city council.

At the council level, Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer would have the ultimate say.

Borough President Melinda Katz

In September, Katz released a 138-page strategic policy statement where she said that the “partial or complete decking of the Sunnyside Rail Yards has the potential for extraordinary development.” She added that it is the largest parcel of ‘vacant’ land remaining in the city.

At the October community board meeting, Queens residents became more aware of Katz’ position when former CB2 chairman Joe Conley said that he had been in discussions with her about building over the Yards. He then called on the board to write a letter to Katz calling for a feasibility study.

While many members of the board were caught off guard by Conley’s request, they were eventually swayed by him and voted in favor of sending Katz the letter.

Conley was then subject to heavy criticism for requesting the letter.

These letters are often used by public officials and city planners to move ahead with studies—allowing them to claim they have the community’s support. For example, Conley’s letter last year calling for affordable housing in Queens Plaza was cited as a reason why city planners are studying the area for a potential up zoning.

Katz is well versed in city real estate matters. She had worked at the law firm Greenberg Traurig from 2009-2012, where she was a land use adviser for real estate companies. She took that position after being a city council member from 2002-2009, where she chaired the land use committee.

On Feb. 10, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in his State of the City address that he wanted to build 11,250 units above Sunnyside Yards, which received a frosty reception from western Queens leaders.

Katz, meanwhile, was publicly advocating for it. At the Queens Chamber of Commerce annual breakfast meeting Feb. 17, she said:

“We need to figure out how to utilize the property in a good way and I think housing is a great way,” reported the Queens Chronicle that covered the event. “Figuring out how to pay for it is the follow-up. … But it needs to be done carefully and it needs to be done in tandem with the community.”

De Blasio then announced last week that the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) sought a consulting firm to undertake a one-year study to determine whether building over the Yards is feasible. The administration is seeking requests for proposal from firms that would essentially provide recommendations.

“This is the first step in understanding whether development of the Sunnyside Yards is possible, and what it can contribute to the city and surrounding communities,” de Blasio said in a statement.

Katz’ spokeswoman, in an e-mail Tuesday wrote: “This feasibility study is a step in the right direction, and Borough President Katz looks forward to engaging community input.”

The e-mail also said: “Borough President Katz recognizes that potential development above the Sunnyside Rail Yards is attractive given the current growth and development throughout Long Island City and western Queens.”

However, western Queens leaders have been alarmed by the plan.

Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan was quick to announce that she had ‘grave concerns ’ about the plans. State Sen. Mike Gianaris was essentially against it—by saying only if it had community support, while Van Bramer continued to argue that the infrastructure would not be able to cope with it.

Nolan also said in a statement that such development would have “the potential to tremendously damage the middle class quality of life of our western Queens communities.”

Nolan then announced that she had hired local attorney Ira Greenberg on a part time basis to monitor de Blasio’s plan and to work with agencies, residents and other parties to make sure the community’s voice is heard.

State Sen. Mike Gianaris sent out a mailing to his constituents recently, which said that the building of new housing units should be secondary to meeting the community’s existing infrastructure needs.

Van Bramer, who has told the mayor that he supports the concept of affordable housing, has expressed doubts as to whether it should be in western Queens. He has consistently been saying that area is already in need of schools and parks—and continues to discuss the poor performing No. 7 train.

He said the Queensboro Plaza/Court Square area is likely to be rezoned that will bring affordable housing as well an influx of people.

“We have are a lot of challenges that we face today,” Van Bramer said at a recent civic association meeting, “let alone with a 100,000 more people.”

The $515,000 sculpture that is expected to go up on Jackson Avenue will be going before the Public Design Commission later this year for approval.

The sculpture, which was initially designed to be an 8 ½ feet high pink figure, is still being worked on and the changes are not likely to be revealed until closer to the time that it goes before the commission.

The artwork—called The Sunbather– will be permanently placed on the median at Jackson Ave and 43rd Avenue and will be paid for by taxpayers.

The initial rendering was criticized at Community Board 2’s December meeting, largely over its size and color.

“The proposed design for the ‘The Sunbather’ is still under development,” said Ryan Max, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in an e-mail.

“The design presented to the community board last year was preliminary; a more detailed proposal…will be presented to the Public Design Commission later this year,” Max said. “When that presentation is scheduled, a notification will be sent to the community board in advance.”

Community Board 2 Chair Pat O’Brien said that he was unsure how the sculpture will change. However, he said, the city agency “got the message about our concern over its size, color and substance.”

He said that follow-up phone calls also took place after the meeting to make it clear. However, he said, the board’s concerns would unlikely change the artist’s overall vision.

He said the department assured him that it would keep the board in the loop.

More than 75 people turned out last night at SHI restaurant for the 2015 launch party of the waterfront parks group.

The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, which organizes events and helps maintain the waterfront parks, also held the event to recruit new members. The event was a success with more than 20 new people signing up.

Rob Basch, the president of the Conservancy, told attendees that the organization has an ambitious schedule of events planned this year.

These events, he said, include an outdoor movie series debuting with the movie Frozen, a weekly Eats and Arts Festival that would take place on the waterfront on Fridays (in summer), a music series, yoga and other family-based events featuring several local businesses.

The Conservancy, Basch said, is also working with the Mayor’s office to install WIFI in the park and is working on a proposal for a seasonal ice skating rink in the park next winter.

The Conservancy was also presented with a $15,000 check from LIC Landing—the cafe/restaurant located in Hunters Point South Park.

LIC Landing donates a percentage of its revenue to the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy. This money is used for events and park maintenance.

The Conservancy also honored its long-time past President and one of its founders, Bill Bylewski, who passed away last week.

Bylewski, Basch said, was an early champion of the parks in Hunters Point and worked tirelessly to make the parks and the community a better place.

Citigroup is selling a site north of One Court Square that is most likely to become a luxury apartment complex, according to The Real Deal.

The site is nearly once acre and is bound by 44th Road, 23rd Street and 44th Drive in Court Square, the New York Times reports. The bank may get up to $150 million for the development site.

The zoning allows for residential, office, retail and hotel use—and a 40 story building could be built there.

The city aims to spur housing in the neighborhood and is likely to rezone Long Island City to promote affordable housing.

A Citigroup spokesman told the Times: “Given the direction of our real estate footprint and the city’s need for housing, we believe that this site has great potential that can be unlocked.”

The sale marks a shift in the neighborhood from commercial to residential development.

Citigroup had originally planned to build an office building on the property..

Citigroup also plans to sell its remaining stake in Two Court Square, according to the Times. As for the iconic 50-story tower, Citigroup told its employees on Monday that its lease at One Court Square comes to an end in 2020, and that it will continue to operate to occupy the building at least until then.

A proposed plan that would charge commuters a toll for using the Queensboro bridge—and three other New York City bridges–was put forward last week by an advocacy group that includes the former NYC traffic commissioner.

MoveNY, a group comprised of traffic experts, research planners and eco-friendly non-profit firms, claims the tolls would lower traffic congestion and raise funds for the MTA.

Under the proposal, workers who commute to Manhattan via the Queensboro Bridge each day would have to pay about $60 a week.

The tolls would also be placed on the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges.

The toll on these four bridges would cost $5.54 each way if paid by E-ZPass and $8 each way for other drivers.

There wouldn’t be a toll booth. Instead there would be a sensor that would charge E-ZPass drivers as they go over the bridge. For those without E-ZPass, a camera would take a photo of people’s license plates and they would receive a bill in the mail, according to Bart Robbett, Communications Advisor with MoveNY.

The tolls on other MTA bridges—such as the Triborough and Whitestone– would be lowered $2.50 each way.

However, there are benefits for having a toll on the Queensboro Bridge for western Queens residents, Robbett said.

For one, there would be fewer vehicles exiting the Grand Central Parkway and driving through residential neighborhoods to get to the bridge.

“There would be fewer people going out of their way to get on the free bridge,” Robbett said. “These people are causing problems for [Western Queens] neighborhoods, by adding to the traffic.”

“There would be less traffic at places such as Queens Plaza,” he said, where people start jockeying for position to get over the bridge.

“They will have to pay, but they will see benefits,” he said.

Samuel Schwartz, a former New York City Traffic Commissioner, developed the proposal after his research found that the streets near the free bridges were congested. The bridges with tolls, he found, had far less congestion.

In addition to easing traffic congestion, MoveNY claims the new plan would generate $1.5 billion in revenue per year, which would go toward maintaining, expanding and modernizing the transit system and improving city bridges and roads.

“I know we can do better — better with traffic flow, reducing traffic crashes and fatalities, and being fairer to drivers [who use other MTA bridges], especially in the outer parts of the city,” Schwartz said.

State legislators would have to pass the proposal, since the state oversees the MTA.

Community Board 2 has started the process to name a street after Tony Mazzarella, the long-time owner of the Waterfront Crabhouse who passed away late last month.

Former Community Board chair Joe Conley suggested co-naming 2nd Street and Borden Ave. after Mazzarella who was actively involved in community service in Long Island City and elsewhere.

The street would be co-named Anthony Mazzarella Way and would be adjacent to the Crabhouse that closed last week.

Conley said that the family reached out to CB2 for the street co-naming so it could honor his life and legacy.

Mazzarella was an active supporter of cancer-fighting causes. He served as a member of the board of directors for the Queens division of the American Cancer Society, where he raised tens of thousands of dollars for the organization.

Furthermore, he would donate at least $1,000 each year to the 108 Precinct community group that would buy Christmas gifts for underprivileged children each year.

The community board is expected to approve the street co-naming at its March meeting.

Long Island City residents are going to able to express their opinion on public art—when a temporary art piece goes up outside PS 1 on Jackson Avenue.

The new installation will be a 19th Century rotary phone that will go up for just two weeks starting March 29.

Residents will be able to pick up the phone and be able to express their views on public art in New York as well as Long Island City. The phone will prompt them to answer a series of questions dealing with public art.

The piece will be called ‘The Utterance Machine” and will be 8 feet tall and bolted into the ground. The artist is Rebecca Hackemann.

The responses will be recorded and all opinions kept anonymous.

“The goal is to engage the community and find out their opinion on public art,” said Jennifer Lantzas, a representative of the Parks Department, a recent community board committee meeting.

The responses will then be on posted online. However, the website and web address is still being created. Not all responses will go online.

“The ones that are thoughtful and thought-provoking will go up on the website,” Lantzas said.

The art piece is part of the city’s temporary public art program that permits artists to place their work in a park for up to a year. However, most go up for 3 to 6 months, Lantzas said

Ironically, while the utterance machine asks people for their opinion of public art—the community had little say on whether the art piece should have been placed there in the first place. This is true of many temporary art pieces—although those larger in scope typically require the approval of the community board.

The parks department is working on placing temporary art pieces in many parks throughout the city. It is currently working on a booklet where it lists parks throughout the city and determines where public art would have a positive impact.

“Technically any park can be considered,” Lantzas said.

The artwork that is selected is chosen by the parks dept based on its artistic merit. The parks department will then work with a designated park manager to determine whether it would be logistically possible. From there, the borough commissioner signs off on it.

Lisa Deller, chairwoman of the Land Use Committee, asked Lantzas what would happen if the public didn’t like the artwork.

Lantzas said that none of these pieces are permanent, noting that the Utterance piece will only be up for two weeks.

The parks department’s temporary art program is separate from Percent for Arts. That program is run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and is likely to place a pink “ Sunbather” on Jackson Avenue, by the grass median near 43rd Avenue, on a permanent basis.

Most Popular

Feb. 11, By Christian Murray
Some of the winners of the Hunters Point South affordable housing lottery have been notified and have been called in for an interview, according to the New York Housing Preservation & Development.
HPD said that the tenant selection process is well on its way and that interview letters will be distributed in rounds until all the units are filled.
More than 92,000 people applied for the 924 affordable affordable apartments on offer. The units are in two buildings--one at 1-50 50th Ave.; and the other at 1-55 Borden Ave.
The building located at 1-50 50th Avenue will be a 37-story complex comprised of 619 permanently affordable units, 13,750 square feet of retail space, and a parking garage with approximately 220 spaces.
The 1-55 Borden Ave. building will be 32-stories high comprised of 306 permanently affordable units and approximately 3,000 square feet of retail space.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer told members of the Hunters Point Civic Association last night that some of the Hunters Point South lottery winners had been notified.
He said that he had received a call from a lottery winner earlier this week who said that she had been called in for an interview.
The notification period is expected to last for a number of months.

Jan. 29, By Christian Murray
The Department of City Planning is likely to make it mandatory for developers to build affordable housing in the Court Square and Queens Plaza areas should it rezone the district.
The department is currently studying the area to determine whether it should upzone the district as a means to promote affordable housing as well as commercial activity—such as light manufacturing.
The agency is currently reviewing about 100 streets that include Queens Plaza (from Queensbridge Houses to Northern Boulevard) and parts of Court Square. It is also reviewing neighboring sections of Jackson Ave. and Northern Boulevard.
The concept of implementing a mandate requiring developers to include affordable units would be unique-- since no other New York City neighborhood has done so, said John Young, the director of the Queens Office of City Planning. The idea is a departure from standard policy where developers are provided with "incentives" to build affordable units--such as allowing them to build slightly bigger buildings.
Therefore, while the Queens Plaza/Court Square proposal is likely make way for larger buildings, the change would also guarantee more affordable units.
“It would be a requirement that a portion [of the building] would have to be affordable,” said John Young, the director of the Queens office of City Planning, who is reviewing the concept.
Young said that the department will be having meetings with stakeholders this winter to discuss the concept--as well as other issues. Such stakeholders include members of community board 2, civic associations, cultural groups and the Long Island City Partnership, he said.
Young said that by late spring the department is likely to come up with the results of its analysis and would then present a preliminary proposal to stakeholders in summer.
He said by fall a proposal would must likely go out for public discussion.
Young said the study comes on the heels of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Housing New York proposal, which aims to create or preserve some 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years.
Furthermore, the study was prompted by a letter sent out by Community Board 2 last year that claimed that sections of Long Island City had turned into the Gold Coast and that there was greater need for affordable housing.
When the area was rezoned in 2001 the planning department had hoped to create a significant business district as well as housing. However, the business area has not grown to a level that it had hoped—while pricey buildings have gone up at a fast clip.
Therefore, the department is looking for ways to promote retail, office and light manufacturing.
Any rezoning would have to go through a lengthy process—including several public meetings—and various government bodies. It would ultimately need to be approved by the city council.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said that he is open to a rezoning. However, he said, that he would want to make sure that the infrastructure—such as schools—could handle a larger population.

These areas in color are part of the area being studied (New York City Planning)

Jan. 12, Staff Report
The Court Square building boom shows no signs of abating.
The number of building permits filed with the Department of Buildings for large-scale residential buildings continues to get grow.
The latest filing is for a 15-story, 88 unit-residential building at 27-01 Jackson Avenue located near Rockrose’s planned 50 story tower.
The 27-01 Jackson Avenue site is currently a gas station.
Albert Shirian, the owner of the Jackson Avenue building, expects the permits to be approved within six weeks and for the ground to be broken within six months, according to reports.

44-12 Purves Street

(click here for a map/list of all LIC developments)
Meanwhile, building permits have been filed for a 27-story building with 165 units at 44-12 Purves Street (27-19 44th Drive). The 44th Drive end of the site was home to a recently-closed auto repair shop.
That building will be across the street from 44-41 Purves Street, a 25-story, 284 unit building expected to be completed in 2017.
Meanwhile, permits were filed in December for the demolition of 44-46 Purves Street, a sited tucked in the far end of the street.

More Headlines

Feb. 23, By Michael Florio
A proposed plan that would charge commuters a toll for using the Queensboro bridge—and three other New York City bridges--was put forward last week by an advocacy group that includes the former NYC traffic commissioner.
MoveNY, a group comprised of traffic experts, research planners and eco-friendly non-profit firms, claims the tolls would lower traffic congestion and raise funds for the MTA.
Under the proposal, workers who commute to Manhattan via the Queensboro Bridge each day would have to pay about $60 a week.
The tolls would also be placed on the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges.
The toll on these four bridges would cost $5.54 each way if paid by E-ZPass and $8 each way for other drivers.
There wouldn’t be a toll booth. Instead there would be a sensor that would charge E-ZPass drivers as they go over the bridge. For those without E-ZPass, a camera would take a photo of people’s license plates and they would receive a bill in the mail, according to Bart Robbett, Communications Advisor with MoveNY.
The tolls on other MTA bridges—such as the Triborough and Whitestone-- would be lowered $2.50 each way.
However, there are benefits for having a toll on the Queensboro Bridge for western Queens residents, Robbett said.
For one, there would be fewer vehicles exiting the Grand Central Parkway and driving through residential neighborhoods to get to the bridge.
“There would be fewer people going out of their way to get on the free bridge,” Robbett said. “These people are causing problems for [Western Queens] neighborhoods, by adding to the traffic.”
“There would be less traffic at places such as Queens Plaza,” he said, where people start jockeying for position to get over the bridge.
“They will have to pay, but they will see benefits,” he said.
Samuel Schwartz, a former New York City Traffic Commissioner, developed the proposal after his research found that the streets near the free bridges were congested. The bridges with tolls, he found, had far less congestion.
In addition to easing traffic congestion, MoveNY claims the new plan would generate $1.5 billion in revenue per year, which would go toward maintaining, expanding and modernizing the transit system and improving city bridges and roads.
“I know we can do better — better with traffic flow, reducing traffic crashes and fatalities, and being fairer to drivers [who use other MTA bridges], especially in the outer parts of the city,” Schwartz said.
State legislators would have to pass the proposal, since the state oversees the MTA.

Feb 23 By Christian Murray
Community Board 2 has started the process to name a street after Tony Mazzarella, the long-time owner of the Waterfront Crabhouse who passed away late last month.
Former Community Board chair Joe Conley suggested co-naming 2nd Street and Borden Ave. after Mazzarella who was actively involved in community service in Long Island City and elsewhere.
The street would be co-named Anthony Mazzarella Way and would be adjacent to the Crabhouse that closed last week.
Conley said that the family reached out to CB2 for the street co-naming so it could honor his life and legacy.
Mazzarella was an active supporter of cancer-fighting causes. He served as a member of the board of directors for the Queens division of the American Cancer Society, where he raised tens of thousands of dollars for the organization.
Furthermore, he would donate at least $1,000 each year to the 108 Precinct community group that would buy Christmas gifts for underprivileged children each year.
The community board is expected to approve the street co-naming at its March meeting.

Feb. 22, By Christian Murray
Long Island City residents are going to able to express their opinion on public art—when a temporary art piece goes up outside PS 1 on Jackson Avenue.
The new installation will be a 19th Century rotary phone that will go up for just two weeks starting March 29.
Residents will be able to pick up the phone and be able to express their views on public art in New York as well as Long Island City. The phone will prompt them to answer a series of questions dealing with public art.
The piece will be called ‘The Utterance Machine” and will be 8 feet tall and bolted into the ground. The artist is Rebecca Hackemann.
The responses will be recorded and all opinions kept anonymous.
“The goal is to engage the community and find out their opinion on public art,” said Jennifer Lantzas, a representative of the Parks Department, a recent community board committee meeting.
The responses will then be on posted online. However, the website and web address is still being created. Not all responses will go online.
“The ones that are thoughtful and thought-provoking will go up on the website,” Lantzas said.
The art piece is part of the city’s temporary public art program that permits artists to place their work in a park for up to a year. However, most go up for 3 to 6 months, Lantzas said
Ironically, while the utterance machine asks people for their opinion of public art—the community had little say on whether the art piece should have been placed there in the first place. This is true of many temporary art pieces—although those larger in scope typically require the approval of the community board.
The parks department is working on placing temporary art pieces in many parks throughout the city. It is currently working on a booklet where it lists parks throughout the city and determines where public art would have a positive impact.
“Technically any park can be considered,” Lantzas said.
The artwork that is selected is chosen by the parks dept based on its artistic merit. The parks department will then work with a designated park manager to determine whether it would be logistically possible. From there, the borough commissioner signs off on it.
Lisa Deller, chairwoman of the Land Use Committee, asked Lantzas what would happen if the public didn’t like the artwork.
Lantzas said that none of these pieces are permanent, noting that the Utterance piece will only be up for two weeks.
The parks department’s temporary art program is separate from Percent for Arts. That program is run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and is likely to place a pink “ Sunbather” on Jackson Avenue, by the grass median near 43rd Avenue, on a permanent basis.
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Feb. 22. By Christian Murray
The suspect involved in the fatal beating of a 32-year-old man on Vernon Blvd Friday has turned himself into police.
Kaheem Addison, a 29-year-old from Huntington Station in Long Island, surrendered to detectives at the 108 police Precinct station house on Saturday.
Addision, who faces manslaughter charges, beat Jose Antonio Cocuyo-Malaga near the corner of 50th Avenue and Vernon Blvd at 2:30 am Friday. The victim's head hit the pavement.
The incident occurred near a bodega when the victim got into car that he believed was a livery cab. The driver who was angered by this jumped out of the car and thumped Cocuyo-Malaga, knocking him to the ground.
There were witnesses who saw the event and ran to the 108 precinct station house–about a block away–to alert police, according to the NYPD.
Cocuyo-Malage lay unconscious on the side walk near Vernon Wine & Liquors suffering from head trauma. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Addision was the sole suspect-- despite initial reports that there were two.
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Feb. 20, Staff Report
A 32-year-old man was beaten to death on the corner of 50th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard this morning, according to police.
The incident occurred near a bodega at about 2:30am when the victim got into an argument with two men who were in a livery cab, the police said. The victim was drinking with his friends at the time.
There were witnesses who saw the event and ran to the 108 precinct station house--about a block away--to alert police, according to the NYPD.
The man, whose name has not been released, lay unconscious on the side walk near Vernon Wine & Liquors suffering from head trauma. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The investigation is ongoing and there have been no arrests.
UPDATE:
Police named the 32-year-old victim as Jose Antonio Cocuyo-Malaga. He lived at 49-16 Vernon Blvd.
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Feb. 19, By Michael Florio
To mark the final season of Mad Men, the Museum of Moving image is bringing a piece of 1950s Madison Ave. to Queens.
The Museum of Moving Image (36-01 35th Ave) will be launching a Mad Men exhibit on March 14 that will include large-scale sets, costumes, props and video clips of the show.
”Mad Men is much more than a popular television series,” said Barbara Miller, the Museum’s Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions. “It has become a cultural touchstone inspiring a renewed interest in a critical time in the country’s history.”

Draper's kitchen

The exhibit will feature large scale sets of main character Don Draper’s office and kitchen. It will have over 25 iconic costumes, including Don Draper’s suit, Joan Holloway’s red dress from a holiday party and Megan Draper’s “Zou Bisou Bisou” dress.
Key props from the series will be on display, including Don Draper’s box with objects that reveal his true identity.
Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, writer and executive producer, will be at the museum on March 20, to discuss the creation and production of the show.
The exhibit will also give fans the opportunity to go behind the scenes, featuring key elements of the writers’ room where Weiner and his team crafted story ideas and scripts for the series. There will be index cards and white boards with story notes from the first episodes of season seven.
Along with Weiner’s story notes, there will be a section of work that influenced his writing, such as a selection from his personal book collection.
There will also be screenings of Weiner’s earlier work, called Required Viewing: Mad Men’s Movie Influences, which feature ten-films curated by Weiner. The Required Viewing films will be screened from March 14 to April 26.
The entire exhibit runs from March 14 through June 14.
Tickets: $25 public

Feb. 18, By Christian Murray
The Long Island City group that oversees the waterfront parks has several plans this year--from hosting outdoor movies, organizing a music series, to even erecting an ice skating rink inside Hunters Point South Park next winter.
The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, which was formed about a year ago, is looking for new members to help develop and build upon these ideas. The group is holding a membership drive at SHI next week and is looking for new people to join.
New ideas that have recently been put forward include bringing the acrobats from the Circus Warehouse, located at 53-21 Vernon Blvd, to perform at Hunters Point South Park.

Julie Powell and Rob Basch

“We want to get the word out that people can join,” said Rob Basch, the president of the group. He said that he wants as many people as possible to get involved in the running of the two waterfront parks.
Basch said the group has plans to screen six movies at Hunters Point South Park this year starting at the end of April. The films, to be sponsored by Nest Seekers, will be shown once a month and will be movies with broad appeal. The first movie will be ‘Frozen’, with the remaining five films still to be selected.
Last September, the group screened its first film Julie & Julia.
The group will be holding a music series this summer although the details are still being worked out.
Meanwhile, the group is making headway in its attempt to bring an ice skating rink to the park. It is working with a well-known company that constructs outdoor rinks and is looking to put together blueprints of the oval.
Basch said that the rink would most likely go up for about four months—from mid November through mid-March. The rink would need to be up for a number of months to defray costs. There would be an admission fee and sponsors would be brought on to cover the cost.
However, for now, the focus is on bringing on new members.
In order to do so, SHI is offering a free appetizer for all new members and a free drink for both new and existing members.
"We want more members and for more people to get involved," Basch said.
Details of the membership drive event:
Date: February 24th
Time: 7 pm
Location: SHI, 47-20 Center Blvd.
Aim: To get residents to attend and join

Feb. 17, By Christian Murray
The Waterfront Crab House, one of the last vestiges of Long Island City, closed for good Sunday.
The closure comes just three weeks after the owner of the long-time establishment Tony Mazzarella passed away. He had owned the Crab House, located at 2-03 Borden Avenue, for decades.
The Waterfront Crab House first opened its doors at in 1977 and Mazzarella quickly filled it with boxing and historic memorabilia dating back to the early 1900s. On Monday, the sporting memorabilia still hung from the walls.
A sign was placed on the front door of the Crab House Sunday that read: “It is with deep regret and heavy hearts that we inform you that due to the passing of Tony Mazzarella we must close the Waterfront Crabhouse.”
One of Mazzarella’s children was at the restaurant Monday but did not want to discuss what his plans are for the restaurant or the real estate.
Many people have held weddings, parties and social events at the Crab House over the years.
The site has a lot of history; there was a bar at 2-03 Borden Avenue back in the 1880s.

Feb. 13, By Michael Florio
Three Long Island City microbreweries are teaming up for a beer crawl.
Rockaway Brewing Company (46-01 5th Street), Big Alice Brewing (8-08 43rd Road) and Transmitter Brewing (53-02 11th Street) are coming together to offer a brewery crawl during beer week, which runs from Feb. 20 to March 1.
Participants will receive a free brewery passport. A passport can be picked up at any of three breweries and will be stamped at each venue. After receiving a stamp from all three breweries, participants will then be entered into a raffle that will be drawn on March 1.
Justine Yeung, a distributor and marketer for Rockaway Brewing, said the prizes will all be beer related, including an assortment of T-shirts, growlers and growler fillers.
This is the first year that the breweries have organized a brewery crawl for beer week.
Yeung said they were unable to do it last year since Transmitter had only just opened and Big Alice was in the midst of expanding.
The three microbreweries decided to put on the event since they all have a common goal: to get the word out on their respective breweries and to help turn Long Island City into a beer destination.
“There are so many people that are moving into LIC,” Yeung said. “This helps us connect with the local community.”
The breweries are focusing on expanding their clientele and believe that the event will draw people who don’t typically frequent microbreweries, Yeung said.
Yeung said if the event proves to be a success that they will put together others.
“One idea is a reoccurring LIC brew weekend, like four weekends a year,” Yeung said. They would raffle off prizes at the events.
Participants in the brewery crawl will have to pay for their drinks, although the breweries will be offering free samples. Rockaway, which specializes in malts, will offer customers a free sample of each beer. However, a pint will cost $5 and a flight of beers, which consists of a number of four-ounce tasters, for $7.
Both Transmitter, which specializes in farmhouse ales, and Big Alice, which offers creative beers such as vanilla prune, will also offer tastings, Yeung said.

Feb. 12, By Christian Murray
Seventy thousand units might need to be constructed over Sunnyside Yards if the Mayor’s plan to build 11,250 affordable units over the tracks is to be realized.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer told members of the Hunters Point Civic Association on Tuesday that 70,000 to 80,000 units might need to be built in order to attract developers to construct the affordable units.
“To get to the 11,200-odd…the number of units could be as high as 70,000 to 80,000 on Sunnyside Yards,” Van Bramer said, since developers typically require market rate apartments to offset the cost of constructing affordable units.
This would result in “a massive, massive development on the scale we have never seen before in western Queens that will affect Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside,” he said.
However, he said no plan should move forward that doesn’t address the needs of the existing residents.
“We can’t fit people on the 7 train today, we don’t have enough school seats for our children today, we don’t have enough green space in western Queens today [excluding Astoria Park and the waterfront in Hunters Point],” he said.
“Adding 100,000 more people to our community is staggering,” he said.”The No. 7 train will not be able to house them all,” he added. “That is crazy.”
In addition to the proposed Sunnyside Yards development, the city is also proposing a rezoning of the Queens Plaza, Jackson Avenue and Northern Blvd corridor. The potential up zoning would result in a significant increase in population-- as the zoning change would most likely make way for bigger buildings since the city will be mandating affordable units.
Van Bramer, who represents 160,000 constituents, told the group: “I won’t go along with any plan that hurts our community. You know me I was born and raised here. I have your back and nothing is going to happen without involving everyone in this room.”
Brent O’Leary, the president of the Hunters Point Civic Association who is also legal compliance counsel at Bloomberg LP, said after the meeting that he was not surprised by Van Bramer’s 70,000-unit projection for Sunnyside Yards.
“The city will get a developer to build them and manage them [the affordable units]—and in return the developer will want to build as many market rate units as possible.”
He said his group is opposed building on the Yards, calling for more green space. “We don’t have the infrastructure we need as it is.”

Feb. 11, By Christian Murray
Some of the winners of the Hunters Point South affordable housing lottery have been notified and have been called in for an interview, according to the New York Housing Preservation & Development.
HPD said that the tenant selection process is well on its way and that interview letters will be distributed in rounds until all the units are filled.
More than 92,000 people applied for the 924 affordable affordable apartments on offer. The units are in two buildings--one at 1-50 50th Ave.; and the other at 1-55 Borden Ave.
The building located at 1-50 50th Avenue will be a 37-story complex comprised of 619 permanently affordable units, 13,750 square feet of retail space, and a parking garage with approximately 220 spaces.
The 1-55 Borden Ave. building will be 32-stories high comprised of 306 permanently affordable units and approximately 3,000 square feet of retail space.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer told members of the Hunters Point Civic Association last night that some of the Hunters Point South lottery winners had been notified.
He said that he had received a call from a lottery winner earlier this week who said that she had been called in for an interview.
The notification period is expected to last for a number of months.